Wayne State University alumni donate $1 million for engineering center

Alumna and faculty member Nancy Philppart and Mike Ilitch School of Business graduate Thomas McGrail make gift

Funds will be used to establish a new center for global engineering education

Announcement to be made at event Wednesday afternoon

Wayne State University has received a gift of $1 million from two graduates to establish a new center for global engineering education.

The center, which will be named the Nancy Philippart and Thomas McGrail Center for Global Engineering Education, will serve as the epicenter for international programs and global initiatives, according to a news release.

The couple previously established an endowed scholarship at the college for students to seek out educational opportunities overseas.

"The ability to work across cultures and countries is essential, particularly in many engineering fields where international offices have teams working together," Philippart, an adjunct professor in the College of Engineering, said in the release. "Students who have the opportunity for global learning are going to have life-transforming experiences that shape their future success."

Current programs will merge within the new center that will hone in on study abroad, research, internships and service learning, the school said.

The center will be home to the "3 + 2 program," which will permit students from partner universities to study for three years at their home institution, then study at Wayne State for two years to complete a master's degree.

The donation was announced at an event Wednesday afternoon on the Detroit campus.

"This new center will provide global experiences for generations of students, through the generosity of Nancy Philippart and Thomas McGrail," Wilson said in the release. "It is critically important that our students become global citizens who are able to navigate diverse cultures and economies."